Musician and yogini Ginger Garner doubles up at Copper

<b>Special to the Daily</b>Ginger Garner demonstrates the diversity of her talents in both yoga and music this weekend at Copper, where she will offer workshops as part of the Mountain Pose Medicine and Yoga Symposium as well as a jazz concert this evening with the Marcus Firillo Trio.

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Ginger Garner demonstrates the diversity of her talents in both yoga and music this weekend at Copper, where she will offer workshops as part of the Mountain Pose Medicine and Yoga Symposium as well as a jazz concert this evening with the Marcus Firillo Trio. Garner's musical talents span the Americana genre from gospel and soul to folk, though the singer/songwriter has a selection of jazz and soul/blues planned for tonight's concert.She said she takes her inspiration "from the women who made it possible for me to sing today. In large part African American women contributed richly to spiritual, blues and gospel music that gave rise to jazz and soul. All women in music owe a great deal to these pioneering women, women like Memphis Minnie, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, of course Ella and then more recently women like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin."Music was a tradition in Garner's family and her background includes classical training too. A degree holder in both physiology and physical therapy, she credits her education with shaping and protecting her vocal style and 3-octave range. She is currently working on "a long-awaited album that has taken several years and three pregnancies to complete," in addition to raising money for women and children in Haiti through free concerts.As to the funniest thing that's happened in her music career, Garner said, "that's easy; let's just say it involved me onstage in the middle of performing a jazz ballad and my newly minted two-year-old wanting desperately to show me how he could go potty." The 5:30 p.m. concert is part of the regular Fridays at Copper series and takes place on Jill's Deck to coincide with the 28th Annual Genuine Jazz & Wine festival. Garner's yoga workshops run early this morning, again at 3:10 p.m. and on Saturday at 5.